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Sunday, June 16, 2013

Simply slackers, only one OT for Bruins/Hawks in Game Two

Saturday night in Chicago must be much more fun than Wednesday night in Chicago, that's the deduction after the Hawks and Bruins brought their Game Two overtime contest to a much quicker conclusion than the triple OT festival of the opening night special.

The Bruins who survived Chicago's first period blitz, settled down through periods two and three, slowing the game down to their preferred speed, exacting a heavy physical toll on the Hawks and most importantly scoring the tying goal at 14:58 of the second frame.

Chris Kelly, with a pass from Andrew Paille, grabbing the marker with a deflection off the post and past Corey Crawford. The reward for hard work and perseverance and frankly survival of a first period that the Bruins should most likely have been down by two or three goals, if not for Tuukka Rask's spectacular goal tending.

The Bruin's took their lead from their Finnish goaltender, changing the pace of the game, out hitting the Hawks and yes, aided by referees that seem to have misplaced the sections of the rule book on cross checking and slashing, punishing the Hawks at every opportunity.

Chicago also provided some help to the Bruins, by seemingly turning off their intensity of the first period, the second and third more a case of the Hawks just trying to keep up with the Bruins who clearly had captured a second wind after the first intermission.

A game which threatened to see the Hawks run away with the score and take a commanding lead, instead as head coach Joel Quenneville observed found the Hawks standing around watching for the most part.

Turning game two into a game of attrition, with the scoring chances clearly shifting towards the Bruins, with Boston finding any number of chances to end things on their terms, opportunities best exemplified by a shot from Jaromir Jagr who rattled off what would have been a game winner off a goal post.

The sound deafening to the crowd at the United Centre, which watched with growing concern as the Hawks surrendered ice, intensity and opportunity to the Bruins.

The path to the Bruins comeback came with that second period goal from Kelly a marker which considering the flow of the game, provided an immediate flood of thoughts that surely Game Two was now destined for Overtime.

The fearless prognostication was delivered with but one more period and the end of sixty minutes of regulation time.

The only question going into the first OT being whether one or the other would knuckle down and end the potential marathon early, or if another triple extra time festival was on the horizon.

The answer came from Daniel Paille at 13:48 of the first OT, he put the winning marker past Corey Crawford, a snap shot that streaked past Crawford's glove hand, drawing the series to a tie.

The OT goal sending the Bruins back to Boston with the home ice advantage and a renewed sense that their goal is once again within reach.

For Chicago, which carried over that enthusiasm from their game one victory into Game Two, but lost the momentum midway through the second period, a dedication to overcoming obstacles is going to be required.

Beyond the obvious boost to the B's of the TD Gardens crowd, the Hawks will have to work through the hooks, holds, cross checks and slashes, and yes, even the goals denied as Saturday's contest provided to Chicago, will have to be quickly forgotten.

Each shift in the end becomes a push back shift, whether this ends in game five (or most likely a Game 7), it seems as this series is evolving the team that pushes back last is going to be the one to claim a game's victory and in the end the Stanley Cup.